Hello, my name is Lucille Junkere. I am a UK/Jamaican visual artist specialising in natural dyes. Through my work, I explore legacies of colonisation and a past connected to chattel slavery. If you have received a link to this campaign, you may already be familiar with my work. Alternatively, you can find me on my website at lucillejunkere.com.

I'm also on Instagram #lucillejunkere

I'm heading back to Jamaica later this month to rural St. Catherine, near the border with St. Mary and St. Ann. The communities are farming areas. I know them very well.

This was a planned trip to document the materials archive I've already created. The archive focuses on plants that provide dye or fibre, their history and cultural significance, and their role within the ecosystem. As I reflect on the research I have already conducted, I realise there are plants in my archive that could better help Jamaica endure these extreme weather conditions.

The area I'm heading to has suffered from landslides, uprooted trees, destroyed crops, and dead cattle. Hurricane Melissa has also destroyed the electricity poles and cables. The poles were damaged by Hurricane Beryl in 2024, and it took a considerable amount of time for the system to be restored. This time, the damage is more severe, so it's unlikely that the community will receive electricity anytime soon.

70% of Jamaica is currently without electricity. Hopefully, the current will be restored quickly.

I've changed my original flight so I can source some solar-powered power stations and small lights for the community I know well. The power banks will be loaned to local shops that serve as community centres. I see these establishments managing the solar power banks, providing a resource for residents to charge their phones, laptops, and other devices, whilst also offering much-needed emotional support and check-ins. Once the electricity is restored, the power banks will become community assets managed by the local Welfare Association. They will be helpful because hurricane season in Jamaica has become much more volatile, so there have already been frequent power outages.

I will be running art and textile workshops for the Welfare Association. These were organised last year, so I already have the necessary equipment and materials, many of which come from my archive; however, the workshops will also allow me to offer well-being check-ins.

Each solar bank costs £300 - £350. They weigh 3 kilos.

Each solar light is £12. They weigh 400g

I have already paid to fly with two suitcases, so depending on how many power banks and lights I can buy, I will be charged £140 for each additional bag.

Transparency and trust are essential to me. Because I prefer not to document people, especially when they are at their most vulnerable, I will record the power banks in the community and update donors, my website and Instagram with images.

I appreciate that not everyone is in a position to contribute financially. But I would greatly appreciate it if you could share the links to this project.

One Love

Lucille